1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to weather strips for motor vehicles, and, more particularly, to a structure for attaching weather strips along a side portion of a roof, and along the roof portion which defines the door openings in the vehicle body.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to attach weather strips along the sides of a roof portion of a vehicle to provide seals around closed windows, especially door mounted windows.
In one example of such a structure for attaching weather strips, a bottom portion of a weather strip is bonded to a body wall, defining a door opening, with double-sided adhesive tapes (Japanese Utility Model application laid-open No. Hei 1-112110).
Roof molding is generally provided on a vehicle body structure to cover an outside surface of weather stripping used adjacent the roof. Such roof molding is normally attached to the vehicle body through a base portion secured to the vehicle body, for example, about the door opening. In another example of a structure for attaching weather strips, the thus attached roof molding has a configuration that holds the bottom portion of the weather strip, and serves as a retainer therefore. With this structure, the bottom portion of the weather strip is fitted in or bonded to the roof molding which acts as the retainer (Japanese Patent application laid-open No. Hei 5-213119).
The present inventors have contemplated one structure for attachment of weather strips based on the above-described examples of structures. Namely, as shown in FIG. 1, along a side 10 of the roof of a vehicle body, roof molding 16 is attached by securing a flat plate-shaped base portion 17 to an outer part of a body wall 12, which defines a door opening, with screws 20. A bottom portion 31 of a weather strip 30 is bonded to both the base portion 17 of the molding 16 and to an inner part of the body wall 12 with double-sided adhesive tape 50. With this arrangement, a retainer is not needed, thereby reducing production costs, and by virtue of the double-sided adhesive tape 50, the weather strip 30 can be attached easily and efficiently.
This structure, however, suffers from the formation of steps or depressions created around the heads of screws 20 and along the inner edge of base portion 17. These steps generate spaces between the double-sided adhesive tape 50 and both the facing roof molding 16 and body wall 12. This can cause the double-sided adhesive tape 50 around these spaces to peel off gradually from the roof molding 16 and the body wall 12, so that the sealing properties of the weather strip 30 against the body wall 12 and the stability in attachment of the weather strip 30 to the vehicle body both will gradually degrade.
Front and rear ends of the roof molding 16 are located on the door belt line, and steps are also formed along the front and rear ends of the roof molding 16 with respect to the body wall defining the door opening. Furthermore, in a joint portion, which joins the weather strip 30 along the side of the roof and a weather strip along a center pillar, steps are also formed in a bottom surface thereof. These steps cause spaces to be formed between the double-sided adhesive tape 50 and the facing body wall, thereby exhibiting similar problems.